Change speed hub for bicycles and the like



Jan. 10, 1939. L. RIBE CHANGE SPEED HUB FOR BICYCLES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 20, 1937 'un It] IVVENTOQ:

AvroQueYS gli? 23 Jan. 10, 1939.

L. RIBE 2,143,798

CHANGE SPEED HUB FOR BICYCLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. l0, 19.39

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leon Ribe, Saint-Etienne, France, assigner to Albert Raimond, Saint-Etienne,

France (Loire) Application December 20, 1937, SerialNo. 180,868

w vIn France December 19,. 1936 '1 claim.

I Granted underk the provisions of sec. 14, act oi March 2, 1927; 357 0. G.

. This invention relates to change speed hubs for cycles of the type comprising an axially movable train of epicyclic gearing in continual engagement with a ilxed central pinion, the said 5 train being provided with ratchet teeth and pawls which co-operate with ratchet pawls and teeth provided on the hub proper and on the driving member to give three speed ratios according to the position of the train.

In the known constructions the epicyclic train comprises four planet gears with very fine gear teeth of a diametral pitch not exceeding 0.8, and four clutch teeth are laterally provided on the planet carrier to form the high-speed clutch, the shafts of the planet gears being located in the four spaces between the clutch teeth. This number of clutch teeth is practically insufficient.

y On theother lhand the fine teeth of the planet gears are a serious drawback since they are liable to break in case of overload.

' All the constructive characteristics of such gearings are dependent upon one another. If, for instance, the number of clutch teethwere to be increased the number of planet gears should.

2.5 also be modified since the planet shafts can only be located in the spaces between the successive clutch teeth. And if the number of planet gears were to be modified, the characteristics of their tooth-profile should also be changed. But in practice the depth of the teeth of the planet gears is limited by the necessity of leaving a suilcient thickness of material between the ball bearings supporting the planets and the roots of the teeth.

One object of this invention is to provide a change speed hub which will be able to transmit higher loads than in the known constructions without being heavier or more cumbersome.

A further object of this invention is to provide a change speed hub of the type above referred to, wherein the high speed clutch cornprises six teeth instead of four.

Another object of the invention is to provide a change speed hub with only three planet gears having teeth of material thickness mounted on needle bearings. v

*Still a further object of the invention is to 50 provide a change speed hub comprising in combination av brake ensuring a progressive and powerful braking action.

v'Ihe invention will be hereafter described with reference to the drawings which illustrate by Il way of example one embodiment thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side view with parts in axial section of a hub according to this invention.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sections thereof taken along lines II-IL III-III land IV--IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the planet carrier. 5

Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section of a planet gear with its bearing and shaft.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the brake segment.

Fig. 9 illustrates a modification thereof. 10

Figs. 10 to 12 are diagrams explaining the operation of the improved brake segment.

Referring to Fig. 1, the improved change speed hub comprises as usual a shaft I fixed by nuts 2 and 3 to the cycle frame 4. Shaft I is integral l5 with a. fixed central pinion 5 and it rotatably supports a driving sleeve 5 mounted on balls 1 and 8, the said sleeve carrying the usual sprocket or sprockets.

The device comprises a hub casing 9 adapted 2 to support the wheel in the usual manner; casing 9 is supported byballs I0 and II and is thus freely rotatable on shaft I.

-Shaft I slidably supports a ring I2 with counter-nut I3 which drives axially the planet 25 carrier I4, the detail of which is clearly apparent .from Fig. 5. This `member carriesv three planet shafts I5 which support three planet gears I6 through needle bearings I'I. As clearly shown, the planet gears I6 are in mesh with pinion 5 and with an internally toothed gear I8` supported by a carrier I9 rotatable on the planet carrier I4, but axially retained thereon by an end ring 20. Carrier I9 is in contact with the inner face of the hub casing 9. 35

The teeth of pinion 5, gears I6 and crown I8 are cut according to the stub system with a diametral pitch of 1.25 and an angle of pressure of 20.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the planet carrier I4 40 is provided with six concentric lateral clutch teeth 2I and the three holes 22 adapted to receive the planet shafts I5 are located in three of the six spaces between the successive clutch teeth 2|. As shown in Fig. 1, these clutch teeth 2l are intended for co-operation with six corre spending clutch teeth 23 provided at the end of the driving sleeve 6. Y

The planet carrier I4 is provided at its end 50 opposed to teeth 2|, with a cylindrical ratchet gear 24 which, at the low speed position, cooperates with spring pressed pawls 25 pivoted on pivots 26 (Figs. 1 and 2) Sleeve Ii is also formed with aV ratchet gear 21 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is ll in continual engagement with spring pressed pawls 28 carried on pivots 29 supported by an extension of carrier I9. The hub casing 9 has an internal ratchet gear 30 which co-operates, at the high and mean speed position, with spring pressed pawls 3l also pivotally carried by carrier I9 (Figs. 1 and 4).

Shaft l. is hollow and houses the usual control means embodying a -transverse pin 32 traversing an elongated opening 33 of shaft I and engaging recesses not shown in ring I2 in order to control the axial position of the same along shaft I. Pin 32 is itself controlled by a chain 34 against the action of a spring 35.

Pinion 5, planet gears 'I6 and internally toothed gear I8 are cut according to the involute system with an angle of pressure of 20 and a diametral pitch not less than 1.25 (Fig. 7).

On the side of casing 9 there is fixed a brake drum 36 lclosed by an end plate 31 carried by shaft I. Plate 31 carries a pivot 38 (Fig. 8) and a rotatable shaft 39 provided with an actuating nose 40. The latter is driven by any usual brake control means not shown. A brake segment 4I, extending through more than three quarters of a circle, is freely pivoted on pivot 38 while its other end abuts against nose 40 under the action of a spring 42.

Segment 4I has a T-shaped cross-section, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 and it is provided with a friction lining 42.

When shaft 39 is operated, nose 40 at rst applies against drum 36 the part of segment 4I nearest to pivot 38 (Fig. 10), segment 4I then operating as a rigid body. WhenI the braking action is increased, segment 4I opens elastically substantially in its middle portion where the cross section is reduced and the area of pressure progressively extends from pivot 38 to the opposed end of segment 4I (Figs. 11 and 12).

In the modification of Fig. 9, the brake segment comprises an elastic ribbon 4Ia, for instance of steel, reinforced by two end members 4Ib of -T cross-section.

Owing to the relative rigidity of the brake segment, no jamming can occur although the direction of rotation of the drum, as indicated by arrow 44, Fig. 8, is such that the frictional reaction tends to increase the pressure of the brake against the drum.

The hub casing is preferably extended through drum 36 by an extension 45 (Fig. 1) which terminates within an oil chamber 41 provided with an outflow 48. And to prevent oil from creeping along the periphery of extension 44 there is provided a projecting edge 46 around the end of the same.

It will be easily understood that the construction described is a. marked improvement on the known constructions embodying four planet gears and only four clutch teeth on the planet carrier and on the driving sleeve. Owing to the use of needle bearings for the planet gears, the pitch of the teeth may be increased without unduly weakening the portionof the gear between the roots of the teeth and the inner bore of the gear; a diametral pitch of 1.25 is satisfactory in every respect. In the known arrangements, on the contrary, ball bearings are used for the planet gears and their diameter is such that the teeth must remain small, the dlametral pitch being 0.8 or less.

I claim:

A change speed hub for cycles and the like, comprising in combination a fixed shaft carrying a central fixed pinion; a hub casing rotatable on said fixed shaft; three planet gears in slidable engagement with said central fixed pinion; a planet carrier rotatably and slidably supported by said fixed shaft and adapted to occupy positions corresponding respectively to high speed,.

mean speed, and low speed; the said carrier having six lateral clutch teeth; three planet shafts supported by said carrier, the said shafts being disposed in three of the six spaces between said clutch teeth; needle bearings interposed between each planet shaft and the corresponding planet gear; a driving member rotatably supported by said fixed shaft, said driving member having six lateral clutch teeth facing the six clutch teeth of said planet carrier and able to co-operate therewith; an internally toothed gear in mesh with said planet gears; a carrier for said internally toothed gear, said last-named-,carrier being rotatably supported by said planet carrier but axially retained thereon; means to clutch unidirectionally said planet carrier with said rotatable hub casing at the low speed position of the same on said xed shaft; means to clutch unidirectionally said internally toothed gear carrier with said driving member at the mean and high speed positions; means to clutch unidirectionally said internally toothed gear carrier with said rotatable hub casing at the mean and high speed positions; and means to control the axial position of said planet carrier on said fixed shaft.

LEON RIBE. 

